Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-07-23
A WARDEN'S PERIL.
General IcComb,s Close Call for
Life.

Life.
General McComb, the Warden of
the State prison at Folsom, had mar
SOW escape from the vengeance of
VIM. Schmidt, the convict who was
detected by the Prison Directors in his
attempt to escape from his dark cell
on the 10th instant On that occasion
Schmidt was surprised whilst prepar-
ing to fling out of his cell two blocks
of granite which he had succeeded in
unloosing preliminary to making
rush and attacking Captain Powell
and a guard with rough dagger,
which he had manufactured by re-
moving the wire from his slop-bucket
and sharpening the edge. When dis
covered on that occasion he was re-
moved to dark cell No. 23S, where he
was confined up to half-past 3 O'Clock
Wednesday afternoon.
DASH FOR VENGEANCE.
At that hour Schmidt's cell was
opened to allow of the prisoners sup
per being passed in. The guards who
stood by the door had been removed.
Schmidt stood back in one corner till
the door was partly open, when he
made a sudden tiger-like spring and
gained the corridor. In his hand was
clasped long, dark, dagger-like in
strument, similar to that taken from
when detected by the Directors.
Waving it aloft, he sprang down the
corridor and out past the little room
where the Captain of the Watch
makes his headquarters. A few feet
from this point a stairway commune
Gates with the balcony running about
the upper tiers OF cells. Up this the
convict sprang, and with one leap
shot out through an opening in the
roof, which is now only about half
| finished.
Once out on the roof, Schmi 1t made
lively time for the north side of the
Jail. Some fifteen feet out swu g a
rope attached to the boom of derrick,
which had been used in hoisting ma
terial to the roof.
THE GUNS OF THE GUARDS.
For several seconds he stood gazing
out on the rope swinging in the breeze.
1t would require an immense spring to
reach it, and failure meant d fatal
plunge to the roadway, fifty or sixty
feet below. Just once he crOuched, as
if about to spring, but at that moment
the alarm having been given, there ap-
paared several guards armed with
Winchesters.
Schmidt glared down at the black
muzzles of the guns like panther at
bay, then turned across the roof to the
south side of the prison. Here anoth-
er derrick stood, and the rope at
tached to the beam was almost with
in easy reach. With cat-like spring
the desperate prisoner reached the
rope, and like fash, hand under
hand, shot downwards to the ground.
| M'CoMB's DANGER.
From the guard posted on hills
about the prison, peeped the muzzles
of rifles, and from all sides rang out
the command "Halt halt!
Without pausing an instant, Schmidt
dashed towards the Warden's office,
springing behind the projection and
and corners in the prison till safely
out of range of the guards rifles.
In less than five seconds he was ON
the steps leading to Warden Nc
Combs Office.
An unarmed guard attempted to
stay the maddened convict's progress,
but at the sight of the murderous in
strument in his hand fell back.
Schmidt's course to McComb's apart
ments was now clear and it is to a
prisoner that the Warden, in all prob
ability, owes his life.
ANOTHER CONVICT TO THE RESCUE.
Eat Jack" Riley, sent from San
Francisco for assaulting an old woman
in the Southern Pacific freight yards a
few wears since, was the man. He
saw Schmidt slide down the rope and
turn toward the office. Grasping the
situation, Riley ran toward McComb's
office and sprang upon the astonished
Warden, yelling: "Look out! It's
Schmidt. He's got knifep
Riley is stalwart fellow, and in
moment the door of the apartment was
slammed to and his shoulder against
it, and none too soon. As the lock
clicked Schmidt reached the door. A
test OF strength was the result.
Riley, fearful that his fellow-pris-
oner's entrance would in all prob-
ability mean death to himself as well
as the Warden, threw all his muscle
in the endeavor to keep the door
closed.
Schmidt, a strapping fellow, crazed
by his long months of solitary confine-
ment, flung himself savagely against
the closed portal, but to no avail.
Riley held the fort. Warden Nc
Comb, who had been quietly writing
when the alarm was given, sprang for
his pistols. Securing a revolver, he
spoke to Riley to let Schmidt come in.
i TRYING SITUATION.
Fat Jack gazed aghast.
"Let him in?" he murmured, in
terogatively.
As his great frame withdrew itself
from against the portal it banged
open. In the opening Schmidt was
revealed, arrayed in his convict garb,
his face whitened by long confine-
ment, his hair dishevelled and his
eyes flashing fire.
He presented terrible sight. In
; his right hand was still clasped the
, deadly weapon of his own manufac-
ture. Facing him was the Warden.
The revolver in McComb's grasp
covered Schmidt's heart.
For few moments the most intense
silence prevailed. The officer and con-
vict glared into each others eyes.
4 McComb broke the silence.
i 1sThrow nm vouIr hands % he said